LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As Pastor Jason Crosby sat in front of the pulpit at Crescent Hill Baptist Church on Thursday, his eyes began to water ever so slightly.

"When others come in I think the emotion that I will sense most strongly will be that of joy," he smiled. Other than small, private family sessions, Crosby has been one of a handful of people to sit in Crescent Hill's sanctuary each week for more than a year.

When he met with Spectrum News on Thursday, Crosby remembered the exact date he last addressed an in-person congregation: March 8, 2020. 

He and co-pastor Andrea Woolley have gotten quite good at hosting online services during all that time. Crosby showed us new cameras that had been set up in the gallery to add multiple shots to his Sunday livestreams, and praised one of his congregants – a former producer at one of the local news stations – for their help with the videos.

Crosby was looking forward to Sunday's special Easter service, though it will be his second held with empty pews.

"We are doing an in-person, out-of-doors gathering at 8:00am on Sunday morning," he said of arguably the most sacred day on the Christian calender. "I know a lot of congregations that are similarly situated to us are doing something similar."

Indeed his neighbors down the street, Crescent Hill Methodist, had advertised their own open-air gathering.

"Outdoor Easter... Worship 11 a.m... Mask/distance," the sign read next to a busy Frankfort Avenue. A family could hit both and be home in time for lunch.

Crosby said when the pandemic reached Louisville, the leadership at Crescent Hill Baptist formed a subcommittee of medical professionals who already numbered among its flock. According to Crosby, that group and Jefferson County's health leaders dictate when and how the church will return to in-person service.

The group might have been just a couple weeks away from green-lighting a return, but that return would fall after Easter.

"We realized we were gonna be this close, given how the trends were going," Crosby said, pinching his thumb and forefinger together.

Dr. Sarah Moyer, Louisville's director of public health, agrees with the delay.

"It will depend what happens after spring break, after Easter, and then who all signs up to get vaccinated in the next week or two," she said on a Thursday video call with Spectrum News.

We asked what church services she would be comfortable with over the weekend, which includes not only Easter, but the conclusion of Passover.

"As always, I'm comfortable with online church services," she said. "It’s probably the safest way to go if you’re not vaccinated. If you have been vaccinated, feel a lot more comfortable going in person. But, if that’s not the case, just staying masked, six feet away from other members of the congregation."

Crescent Hill Baptist's outdoor service will be held on the steps and lawn in front of the church. Then, Crosby will send congregants home and walk inside to host a virtual sermon. He admitted he will be tempted to invite them in. After all, he already has pews roped off and color coordinated tape on the floor and in the seats to measure out distanced bodies.

But it is not safe enough. Not quite yet.

"To see people experience this space… it’s gonna be a joyous occasion for me to observe," he said.

For Pastor Crosby, it will be worth the wait.